LAKE HAVASU CITY – A tough year will end on a high note in the Colorado River city of Lake Havasu, Arizona, with a socially distant Christmas Boat Parade of Lights and Festival of Lights, along with other nearby holiday attractions.

The variety of fun activities within an hour’s drive of the city is one reason thousands of visitors treat this western Arizona destination as a base camp for day trips, according to Terence Concannon, president/CEO of Go Lake Havasu.

 “While it’s certainly common for visitors to spend their entire stay within the city limits or out on the lake, we encourage them to get in their cars and explore what this region of Arizona has to offer,” he said.

Lake Havasu Christmas Boat Parade of Lights Return for One Night Only, Dec. 5

Back in Lake Havasu City, the annual Christmas Boat Parade of Lights is smaller this year due to the pandemic, but no less festive. A new version of the 36-year-old parade will float through Thompson Bay and the Bridgewater Channel beneath the London Bridge for one night only, starting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.

Program director and local business owner J.J. Gibbs decided to maintain the tradition to brighten the community’s spirits during the holiday. He says up to 30 craft will participate, ranging from a tiny tugboat up to a 52-ft. yacht, lit in festive lights and lead by the Lake Havasu Fire Department fireboat spraying its water cannons.

“We wanted to continue the Lake Havasu Boat Parade tradition. It’s needed now more than ever considering how 2020 has affected us all,” says Gibbs, a Lake Havasu City resident for 32 years.

There is no charge for spectators and all are recommended to abide by social distancing guidelines.

Homebound on Dec. 5? You can watch it from the city’s live webcam located atop London Bridge Resort at: www.londonbridgetour.com

Lake Havasu City Festival of Lights, Now Through January 4, 2021

The annual Festival of Lights continues through Jan. 4, 2021. Take the family for a stroll under the London Bridge along the walkway, or take a boat on a night cruise through the Bridgewater Channel as over 500,000 lights set the water aglow.

Free parking is located at the English Village or the London Bridge Resort and Convention Center. Illumination is from dusk to 10 p.m. nightly.